82 | Rico Lewis - 2025/26

We used to sing on the Kippax- "If Waddle plays for England, so should I" We have one of our own alright now. He offers absolutely nothing. Can't tackle, can't head, has a five yard pass (whichever way he is facing) can't shoot, weak as piss water. He can however find the pockets! All well and good until you need a basic skill set to work from, when you have found the pocket.
 
our record must be brutal when he starts.
Just looked this up

we win about 73% of games when he starts

looks good until you find out we win 79-80% of games when he doesnt play.

caveats to take into consideration is that he starts in cup games more often against potentially weaker opposition as well
 
Just looked this up

we win about 73% of games when he starts

looks good until you find out we win 79-80% of games when he doesnt play.

caveats to take into consideration is that he starts in cup games more often against potentially weaker opposition as well
It's actually around 68% according to chat gpt:
Total Matches Started: 75
Wins: 75
Draws: 15
Losses: 20

Lowest on our team.
 
Not sure those results tally up…
True, it's out of 110, and the numbers include sub appearances that 9/10 happen when we are winning (in his case), hence the number below is lower, probably much more reflective of the reality.

  • Across all appearances (starts + sub appearances) for Manchester City, City have won far more games than they’ve lost when Lewis plays — with about 75 wins, 15 draws and 20 losses in his career totals so far, though this mixes starts and sub appearances (so isn’t only starts).
  • A more specific advanced stat source suggests that Manchester City’s win percentage with Lewis starting is around ~66.7% in the Premier League.
    (Exact number may vary slightly depending on data source and competitions included.)
 
True, it's out of a 110:

  • Across all appearances (starts + sub appearances) for Manchester City, City have won far more games than they’ve lost when Lewis plays — with about 75 wins, 15 draws and 20 losses in his career totals so far, though this mixes starts and sub appearances (so isn’t only starts).
  • A more specific advanced stat source suggests that Manchester City’s win percentage with Lewis starting is around ~66.7% in the Premier League.
    (Exact number may vary slightly depending on data source and competitions included.)
The only thing I’ll say about Lewis tonight is that he was better than Rodri, but that’s a very low bar.

What are the stats for City wins since we’ve brought Rodri back into the team since Xmas?
 
The only thing I’ll say about Lewis tonight is that he was better than Rodri, but that’s a very low bar.

What are the stats for City wins since we’ve brought Rodri back into the team since Xmas?
Without looking it up, I think 0% when he starts. He hasn't looked fit for me at all. Shadow of his old self.
 
He did fail last weekend to defend the back post.

I meant today. That was the basis of all the angst; last week. What was it today?



The rest of the examples you are talking about are individual errors that absolutely are worth of picking up on from other players.....

However the big picture needs to be looked at....Rico Lewis is not good enough in his natural postion to play for a PL team.....Nunes (a failed midfielder) is a much better option than him

And secondly out of all the options at the club, Rico Lewis is only second to last infront of Kalvin Phillips in terms of who is the worst option to play midfield...He possesses NONE of the skills or ability on the ball or defensively off the ball to play in midfield...

He tries you cant deny that

He is very good at getting into space and receiving the ball under pressure - again undeniable...

But every time he steps on the pitch he does NOTHING with the ball at his feet in terms of attacking play and does less than nothing defensively when playing in midfield. He infact is a liability..these are not one off indivdual errors like the ones you mentioned above....they are significant issues that arise EVERY time he crosses the white line unless its as a sub at the end of a game where we are winning

He keeps playing midfield - along with Reijnders.....we will keep hugely struggling.

Our biggest problem are 2 folds: 1. Is lack of movement and 2 is sluggish slow passing. Lewis and Reijnders are the 2 players who move constantly and make quick decisions. We need more of that. Not less

We also need defenders to pass early and often forward to moving players.... The issues are far deeper than Lewis... And he does things the supposed superstars long ago stopped doing...


Let me put it this way but>01
 
I meant today. That was the basis of all the angst; last week. What was it today?





Our biggest problem are 2 folds: 1. Is lack of movement and 2 is sluggish slow passing. Lewis and Reijnders are the 2 players who move constantly and make quick decisions. We need more of that. Not less

We also need defenders to pass early and often forward to moving players.... The issues are far deeper than Lewis... And he does things the supposed superstars long ago stopped doing...


Let me put it this way but>01
Another problem, is our pressing
 
I meant today. That was the basis of all the angst; last week. What was it today?





Our biggest problem are 2 folds: 1. Is lack of movement and 2 is sluggish slow passing. Lewis and Reijnders are the 2 players who move constantly and make quick decisions. We need more of that. Not less

We also need defenders to pass early and often forward to moving players.... The issues are far deeper than Lewis... And he does things the supposed superstars long ago stopped doing...


Let me put it this way but>01
you are kidding

Rico Lewis passing is safe at best...not inventive..he is also slow at decision making and get caught on the ball.. he also gets inthe way of other players often ont he edge of the opposition area. He cant carry the ball under pressure as he is easily brushed off the ball as well, he cant cross or provide incisive passes either...He is weak in the air obvioulsy. Also for a midfielder he cannt recover the ground once we lose the ball...once the ball is goal side of him it stays goalside of him...

Go and look at all the goals scored against us this season and last where Lewis has played....he is always miles off when the ball goes into our box....

He may run hard and move but he does nothing off the ball defensively to affect the game or protect our back 4 and he does very little offensively.

He is a championship player at best

As for Reijnders -the guy is a fucking ghost on the pitch..he literally may as well not be there....even in games he has scored he has done nothing else either side of that moment. He is the least effective player that I have ever seen get on the pitch for city on a regular basis in the last 10 years - he adds nothing

Yes there are other problems but these 2 are signicant pieces of that problem

win rate with Lewis not starting is higher than with him starting....that is fact...and that is includng cup games where we may potentially have faced weaker opposition in some of those games (eg. Exeter)...
 
It's actually around 68% according to chat gpt:
Total Matches Started: 75
Wins: 75
Draws: 15
Losses: 20

Lowest on our team.
yeah thats what i used but it was based on some other factors as well so it wasnt cut and dry so I used the higher figure
 
He did fail last weekend to defend the back post.

The rest of the examples you are talking about are individual errors that absolutely are worth of picking up on from other players.....

However the big picture needs to be looked at....Rico Lewis is not good enough in his natural postion to play for a PL team.....Nunes (a failed midfielder) is a much better option than him

And secondly out of all the options at the club, Rico Lewis is only second to last infront of Kalvin Phillips in terms of who is the worst option to play midfield...He possesses NONE of the skills or ability on the ball or defensively off the ball to play in midfield...

He tries you cant deny that

He is very good at getting into space and receiving the ball under pressure - again undeniable...

But every time he steps on the pitch he does NOTHING with the ball at his feet in terms of attacking play and does less than nothing defensively when playing in midfield. He infact is a liability..these are not one off indivdual errors like the ones you mentioned above....they are significant issues that arise EVERY time he crosses the white line unless its as a sub at the end of a game where we are winning

He keeps playing midfield - along with Reijnders.....we will keep hugely struggling.
I think I would genuinely rather have Phillips on the pitch over him. No joke.

The kid is shit and at the scene of almost every woeful performance we put in.
 
You are correct, no howlers today, but even then he adds zero and is consistently bullied off the ball.

Also, minor gripe; think he could have got out to meet the cross earlier for one of their goals but he was too slow, then due to the lack of his frame size meant the block couldn’t be made.

Basically, even without the almost obligatory complete lack of concentration brain fart error.. he’s still crap. He’s like playing with 10 men (9 tonight) which is why most of us have lost patience with him.

My eyes roll every single time he’s on the team sheet, and every single time without fail he proves my initial worries to be correct.
Constantly bullied !! The whole fucking team were bullied tonight not just Lewis.
 
I’d look good alongside Gundo & Kev !
This is the real point about Rico, in the past when he lost it we had players who would cover, get possession back and make us tick - Pep has backed him to be that player who is capable of doing the things Gundo did when in reality if Gundo was an 8/10 player every game Rico is a 5/10 having occasional good moments but a lot of bad ones. Pep's loyalty to both Rico and Phil on this latest run is hurting the entire team. You often find out things when everything is not going well and certain players disappear in matches. The last 2 season defining games tell me a lot about character and ability.
 

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